Ultraviolet light source and methods

Abstract

A method for a hand-held device comprising illuminating, with a first UV LED associated with the hand-held device, a surface of an object with UV light, acquiring with a visible-light image sensor on the hand-held device, a first image of the surface of the object while the surface of the object is illuminated by the first UV LED, performing with the processor in the hand-held device, a function upon the first image to determine a type of contaminant disposed upon the surface of the object, determining with the processor in the hand-held device, sanitation techniques to perform in response to the type of contaminant that is determined, and displaying with a touch-screen display on the hand-held device, the sanitation techniques to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A UV illumination method comprising:
 moving by a user, a UV light source separate from a remote computing device to a plurality of locations associated with a plurality of target surfaces; 
 initiating a UV illumination process for execution upon the UV light source in response to input from a user; 
 illuminating, with a UV light within the UV light source, sanitizing UV light to the plurality of target surfaces other than surfaces of the remote computing device in response to the UV illumination process, wherein the UV light is selected from a group of wavelengths consisting of: UV-A, UV-B, UV-C; 
 thereafter 
 terminating illuminating, with the UV light within the UV light source, the sanitizing UV light from the plurality of target surfaces in response to the UV illumination process; and 
 sending via a wireless communication mechanism of the UV light source to the remote computing device status data associated with the UV light source. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the status data is selected from a group consisting of: a status of the UV light source, a status of the power source, positional data of the UV device, proximity data of the UV light source to a surface. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein initiating the UV illumination process comprises:
 receiving on the remote computing device a selection of an UV illumination application; 
 receiving via the wireless communication mechanism of the UV light source a signal from the remote computing device in response to the selection of the UV illumination application; and 
 wherein the illuminating, with the UV light within the UV light source, the sanitizing UV light is in response to the signal. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 initiating a timer in the UV light source to determine an elapsed time; 
 determining when the elapsed time exceeds a threshold; and 
 wherein the terminating illuminating, with the UV light source, the sanitizing UV light to the plurality of target surfaces is in response to a determination that the elapsed time exceeds the threshold. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 monitoring with the UV light source one or more conditions; 
 determining with the UV light source whether the conditions are within a threshold; and 
 wherein illuminating, with the UV light, the sanitizing UV light to the plurality of targets surfaces is also in response to a determination that the conditions are within the threshold. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the conditions are selected from a group consisting of: proximity of the UV peripheral to the plurality of target surfaces, a class of prohibited target surfaces, direction of illumination of the UV light, remaining power stored in the UV peripheral, UV illumination duration, and movement data. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the wireless communication mechanism is selected from a group consisting of: NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RF, CDMA, GSM, cellular. 
     
     
       8. A portable UV device configured to communicate with a remote computing device comprising:
 an external housing; 
 a power source disposed within the external housing configured to provide operating power; 
 a UV light source disposed within the external housing and coupled to the power source, wherein the UV light source is configured to provide output of sanitizing UV light to sanitize a plurality of target surfaces other than a surface of the remote computing device in response to the operating powered provided by the power source; 
 a communication mechanism disposed within the housing and coupled to the power source, wherein the communication mechanism is configured to report status data associated with the portable UV device to the remote computing device; and 
 a control mechanism disposed within the housing, wherein the control mechanism is coupled to the UV light source, to the communication mechanism, and to the power source, wherein the control mechanism is configured to direct the power source to provide the operating power to the UV light source in response to instructions received from a user; and 
 wherein the portable UV device is configured to be physically moved independently from the remote computing device to a plurality of locations associated with a plurality of target surfaces by the user to provide the sanitizing UV light to the plurality of target surfaces other than the surface of the remote computing device. 
 
     
     
       9. The UV device of  claim 8  wherein the communication mechanism is selected from a group consisting of: NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RF, IR, CDMA, GSM, a tethered connection. 
     
     
       10. The UV device of  claim 8  wherein the status data is selected from a group consisting of: a status of the UV light source, a status of the power source, positional data of the UV device, proximity data of the UV light source to a surface. 
     
     
       11. The UV device of  claim 8 
 wherein the remote computing device comprises a portable smart device; and 
 wherein the communication mechanism is also configured to receive the instructions from the user from the remote computing device. 
 
     
     
       12. The UV device of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a sensor disposed within the housing and coupled to the power source and to the control mechanism, wherein the sensor is configured to determine object proximity to the UV light source; 
 wherein the control mechanism is configured to determine whether to turn off the UV light in response to the object proximity. 
 
     
     
       13. The UV device of  claim 12  wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of: an image sensor, a UV light sensor, a visible light sensor, a camera sensor, and a sonic sensor. 
     
     
       14. The UV device of  claim 8  further comprising a movement sensor disposed within the external housing, wherein the movement sensor is configured to monitor movement in locations where the UV light source provides output of the sanitizing UV light. 
     
     
       15. A UV illumination method comprising:
 disposing a UV light source proximate to a plurality of UV target regions, excluding an exterior surface of the UV light source; 
 initiating a UV illumination process for execution upon the UV light source in response to input from a user; 
 illuminating, with a UV light within the UV light source, sanitizing UV light to the plurality of UV target regions, excluding the exterior surface of the UV light source in response to the UV illumination process, wherein the UV light comprises a UV-LED, and wherein the UV light is selected from a group of wavelengths consisting of: UV-A, UV-B, UV-C; 
 thereafter 
 monitoring, with a sensor in the UV light source, a usage condition associated with the sanitizing UV light to determine an unsafe usage condition; 
 determining when the elapsed time exceeds a threshold; and 
 terminating illuminating, with the UV light within the UV light source, the sanitizing UV light to the plurality of UV target regions in response to determining the unsafe usage condition or to determining that the elapsed time exceeds the threshold. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein the plurality of UV target regions are associated with a target selected from a group consisting of: fruit, food, water, and a liquid. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15  wherein the plurality of UV target regions comprises liquids in a bottle. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15  wherein the usage condition is selected from a group consisting of: proximity of the UV light source to the target region, a class of a prohibited target surfaces, a direction of illumination of the sanitizing UV light, movement data associated with the sanitizing UV light. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a wireless communication mechanism coupled to a remote device, wherein the wireless communication mechanism is configured to provide status data associated with the UV light source to the remote device; 
 wherein the status data is selected from a group consisting of: a status of the UV light source, a status of a power source, positional data of the UV device, proximity data of the UV light source with regards to the plurality of UV target regions; and 
 wherein the wireless communication mechanism is selected from a group consisting of: NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RF, CDMA, GSM, and cellular. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a wireless communication mechanism coupled to a remote device, wherein the wireless communication mechanism is configured to receive the input from the user on the remote device; and 
 wherein the wireless communication mechanism is selected from a group consisting of: NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RF, CDMA, GSM, and cellular.